KUALA LUMPUR – Singapore’s mixed doubles pair, Terry Hee-Jessica Tan, overcame fatigue to score a huge upset in the quarter-finals of the Malaysia Open today.
The world number 22 pair pulled off a stunning win over the tournament’s six-seeded Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Sapsiree Taerattanachai of Thailand, winning 21-16, 21-19 in 48 minutes.
The win will see the husband-and-wife duo make their debut in a semi-final of a Super 1000 event.
“Both of us are in disbelief, but we are very happy with our performance today and how we challenged our opponents,” said Jessica.
The crowd at Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil was cheering for their opponents, but Terry-Jessica did not mind that one bit.
“It’s ok, as long as they are watching badminton, I don’t mind if they support or not, we appreciate them being here,” said the pair.
In a tightly contested second set, both pairs can be seen suffering from fatigue, but the Singaporeans manage to pull off the win.
“We were very tired, and so were they. So, it really comes down to the mental focus on the crucial points.
“We were lucky with the last point where they played it into the net,” said Jessica.
Terry and Jessica’s best result was winning the Super 500 India Open in 2022, and they acknowledged that getting to the semi-finals of the Malaysia Open was their biggest achievement yet.
“This is the first tournament of the season and also during the Olympic qualification, so the competition is very tough,” said Jessica.
No Singaporean mixed doubles pair has made it to the Olympics, and Terry and Jessica will be looking to make history and qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“With this semi-final appearance here, I think we have increased our chances of qualifying.
“The goal is to win as many matches as possible to collect the points we need,” said Terry, whose hobby outside of badminton is cycling. – January 12, 2024